Lighter



J. HOLTZMAN July 23, 1940.

LIGHTER Original Filed July 11, 1928 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 J EE mum

m T N E V N J.- HOLTZMAN LIGHTER July 23, 1940.

Ofiginal Filed July 11, 192 8 2 sheets-sheet 2 l NVENTOR Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE- i amt-1,:

. Imam John Holtzman, New Y ork,'N.Y. Original application Jilly 11, 1928, Serial No.

291,743. Divided Y and this application April 1935, Serial No. 16,171. 1

Renewed June 28,

6 Claims. (01. B'I-Ll) This invention relates to cigar and cigarette lighters of the pocket or table standtype, wherein a serrated wheel is actuated to abrade a pyroto a fuel-fed wick to ignite the wick.

This application is a division of my copending application for patent for Lighters, Serial No.

' 291,743, filed July '11, 1928.

My invention is designed to provide simple,

compact and dependable actuating means for the abrading wheel and contemplates such arjrangements and combinations ofparts as will meet the severe requirements of practical use and the conditions of quantity production at minimum cost. I The various objects of my invention will appear as the description progresses, and will further be clear from the drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one form of lighter, showing how my invention may be applied to a table lighter.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the lighter mechanism of Fig. l. s

Fig. 3 is a yertical section of a modification showing a simpler form of actuating mechanism and a reaction member adapted to be engaged by the finger of the user for aiding him in depressing the finger piece. I Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the-same.-

It will be understood that the practical embod... iments of my invention may assume various forms which I will describe separately in detail.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thefuel container v5|] may be permanently or removably secured to a suitable tray as 5|. The wick 52 passes through the wick tube 53 for exposure'above the top of the container. Said wicktube is inserted into and carried by a removable closure member 54 which is preferably tapered to conform to the top of the receptacle and is removably inserted thereinto. A suitable frame as 55 is carried by the closure member 54, said frame also carrying the spark producing mechanism. The frame has upstanding-ears 56 projecting above the top of the receptacle in which ears is'pivoted the shaft 51 on which the abrading wheel 58 is mounted.

The frame 55'further carries the tube 59 forthe pyrophoric element 60, the spring 6| insaid tube 55 member, the link I is pivoted thereto as by Said finger piece is pivoted near'its left end as viewed in Fig. 1 to the extensions 69 of the frame 55, a spring as 10 serving to urge said finger piece toward its uppermost positionand thereby normally to maintain the member 62 in wick capping position. v

For operatively connecting the member-62 to the abrading wheel 58 when the finger piece 68 is depressed so that said wheelmoves only-in the proper direction to ignite the wick, the abrading wheel is formed with teeth on'one face thereof which teeth are engaged by a lip or pawl ll struck out from the material of the memberb! in a manner which is well known and which need not, therefore, be described in detai1.- It will be understood, however, that any suitable form of clutch orone way drive may be interposed between the-member 52 and the abrading wheel, as is well understood in the art. It will further be seen that on removal of the closure member 5 1, the entire mechanism is removed from the container,'the uppervend of which is thereby exposed for the insertion of fuel when desired.

In Figs. 3 and 1 have shown a modification to enable the ready removal of the container 50 from the stand 5| which is in this case provided with a bottom 15 to form a complete unit. A

extension I of the member ilwhereby depression of the wheel causes rotation of said member. The wheel 58 may be similarly toothed, as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 ora suit able clutch as hereinbefore mentioned may be interposed between the member 61 and the abrading wheel. In order, however, to provide a reaction piece adapted to be engaged by a finger of the user so as to enable the user to apply the proper force to the member I! to rotate the member 62 and thereby, to rotate the abrading wheel, I prefer to attach the curved finger grip ll to'the frame N as at CI. The lower end of said finger grill. however, preferably fslotted as at II so that the-headed screw or rivet I! may put adequate pressure upon the finger wheel 11, and that upon release of the pressure on said wheel, the various parts are automatically returned to their initial positions.

It will further be seen that by giving the bottom a cup-shaped form, a space as II is provided between the bottom of the container and the tray II for the reception of extra or spare pyrophoric elements which are readily accessible when needed.

While I have shown and described various preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto but intend to claim-my invention as. broadly as may be permitted by thestate of the prior art and the terms of the appended claims. I claim: t

1. A lighter having in combination, a receptacle, an abrading wheel journalled near the top of said receptacle, a pyrophoric member, means projecting said pyrophoric member upwardly into frictional engagement with said wheel, a wick ex-' tending into said receptacle and projecting from the top thereof on one side of the wheel, a finger piece pivotally carried by the receptacle and adapted to be pressed downwardly, a spring tending to force said finger piece upwardly, a snufi'er for said wick} said snufier comprising'a pair ofside walls in parallel spaced relation. said walls having projections provided with-upwardiy con-. verging edges extending above the top of the wheel, and a combined top and front wall joining said side walls except at said converging edges,

- the wheel projecting upwardly beyond said combined top and front wall and means whereby upon pressing said finger piece downwardly, said wheel is rotated by manual pressure to ignite the wick and said snufier is removed from the wick, said means-comprising asubstantially upright link provided with an uppermost portion curved to conform to the curvature of the wheel and arranged outwardly thereof and between said projections, a pivotpin'passing through said up-' peri'nost portion of the link and through the upper end parts of said projections, and a secondpivot pin connecting said fingerpiece at a point spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the movable end thereof to the lower end of the link.

- wheelQ'a substantially horizontal finger piece 2. A lighter having in combination, a'receptacle, an abradant wheel journalled thereon, a pyrophoric member, means projecting said pyrophoric member into engagement with said wheel, a wick projecting from the receptacle adjacent the wheel, a snuifer for ,the wick, havingprojec- 'tion's thereon extending above said wheel, said.

snuifer being pivoted on the same axis as the pivotally mounted independently of the snufier, and a substantially vertical link between a point on the finger piece about a third oi-the length of the finger piece from the free end thereof and the projections of the snuifer to operate the wheel and the snuifer by manual pressure;

- 8. A lighter having in combination, a receptacle, an abrading wheel journalled about a horizontal axis near the top of said receptacle, a pyrophoric member in contact with said wheel, a wick projecting from said receptacle on one side of the wheel, .a substantially horizontal elongated finger piece, said finger piece being low the axis of said wheel and adapted to have the other end thereof pressed downwardly, a substantiallyvertical link'pivotally connected at. its

1 pivoted at one end on an axis spaced from and belower end to a point on said finger piece spaced inwardly a substantial distance from saidother end and having operative connection with said wheel whereby said wheel is operatable by manual" pressure to ignite the wick, said operative connection comprising a wick snufier pivotally connected to the upper end of the link at a point above said wheel and clutch means between the snufier and the wheel,

4. In a lighter assembly, a frame, an. abrading wheel journalled in the upper part of the frame,

a tube mounted in said frame, a member of pyrophoric materialin the tube spring-pressed against the wheel, a snufier pivotally mounted at the upper part of the frame on the same axis as the wheel, a fuel container having a wick detachably connected with said frame, a non-deformable spring-impelled lever pivotally mounted at the lower portion of the frame on a pivot in spaced relation to the pivot for the snufier and having spaced walls, part of the frame being inserted between said walls, and means including a pin arranged in spaced relation to the axis of the snufier operatively connecting said lever with said snuiier for rocking said snufier on its pivot on the operation of the lever, said lever being adapted to be pressed manually to remove the snuifer from the wick, and simultaneously rotate the wheel to produce sparks to light the wick.

5. In a lighter assembly, a frame of greater. over-all height than its width, an abrading wheel journalled at the upper part of said frame, a tube mounted in the frame, a block of pyrophoric material in said tube spring-pressed against the wheel, a-snufier pivotally mounted in the upper part of the frame on the same axis as the wheel,

' afuel container having a wick detachably connected with the frame and a spring-urged rigid member pivotally mounted vat the lower part of the frame and having a pivotal connection with the smaller for making said snuifer on its pivot.

6'. An operating assembly adapted to be detached as a unit from the casing of a pyrophoric lighter, said operating assembly comprising an abrading wheel, a frame having interconnected front and back walls carrying said wheel, an

,actuating lever pivoted at one end to said frame,-

a snufier-carr gng member having interconnected front and bac walls pivoted to the frame at a point in upward spaced relation to said one end of the lever, said snuffer-carryins member in its normal position being positioned to extend across the upper part of the frame and in its operated position being arranged with its front and back walls respectively forming extensions of the front and back walls of said frame, means operatively connecting the other end part of the lever to the snuifer member to operate the'snuffer member 'and means including a ratchet connection between the snuifer member and the wheel to operate the wheel.

' JOHN HOLTZMAN. 

